Even if Far Eastern University stands heavily favored over Adamson, coach Nash Racela wants the same all-out performance from his Tamaraws in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament today.
The Tamaraws, who are gunning for a fifth triumph, target a share of second against the winless Falcons at the end of the first round of eliminations at 4 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We knew from the very beginning that our problem is consistency,” said Racela. “[This game] will give us another chance to check on that. Sometimes we tend to play the better teams harder, then we slack off a bit against the weaker teams. As a coach you wouldn’t want that. What’s important is they play the game the same way, regardless of who we play.”
Consistency is also what University of Santo Tomas and University of the East aim for when the two tangle in the first game at 2 p.m.
UST’s Cameroonian center Karim Abdul said the Tigers, who hope to halt a two-game slide, have yet to find the form that got them into the finals in the last two seasons.
“We’re not down, but I’m just sorry for my team I didn’t perform [in the last game] the way I usually perform. My game was really missing,” said Abdul, who has been alternately struggling with UST aces Kevin Ferrer and Aljon Mariano.
But the Tigers hope to click together against the Warriors, who aim to arrest a four-game losing skid that saw them throwing away double-digit leads each time.
In their last outing, the Warriors absorbed a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 91-93, where they blew a huge 21-point advantage.
The Eagles wrapped up their first-round campaign with a 6-1 record to claim the solo No. 1 spot.
But a win by the Tamaraws will forge a three-way tie for second at 5-2 with La Salle and National University.